Merida - The Yucatan Peninsula

  Merida, Mexico
Wednesday, November 1, 2006

After an OK bus journey and a nice bit of sleep (we have our neck pillows, ear plugs and eye shades sponsered by British Airways) we arrived into Merida at 5 in the morning. We had booked the Hostel de Peregrino. We obviously had to wake the young fella that was working, and he left us in and put us to bed. Actually, another example of a nice Mexican... the taxi driver we got from the bus station to the hostel stayed with us and made sure that we got into the hostel ok, he even made sure that the place WAS a hostel (he didnŽt see the big sign above the door)... a nice man!

We didnŽt get up until 1pm next day, and we went for a wander around Merida!
Now... remember that "Italian Coffee Company" cafe that Sarah so loved in San Cristobal ? Well, she was convinced that she saw a guy walking around with a cup that had the logo from this place!!! we wandered the streets... and wandered.. looking for breakfast... foood... sustinance... oh, how we wandered, up and down streets, back the same street... down and over and around. Eventually, Sarah decided that weŽd go back to the VERY FIRST PLACE we saw... This is a fairly common occurence. The guy in the restaurant started laughing out loud when he saw us walking towards him... "Ha Ha Ha, I knew youŽd come here... i see you walking around the town looking and looking, Ha Ha Ha.... i knew youŽd come here.... as this is the best restaurant in town". We didnŽt find the "Italian Coffee Company" for poor Sarah... and to top it off.... surprise, surprise yer mano lied... it wasnŽt the best restaurant in town!!! But, to be fair, he was a nice man. We talked for quite a while with him... turns out that us "Europeans" are NOT known as Gringos... this term is ONLY reserved for the Americans!!!! NO SOY GRINGO, SOY IRLANDESA

03

We decided to change hostels also as there was nothing happening in the Peregrino gaff, we think that we were the only people staying there! We moved to the Nomadas Hostel down the road... JOOOOBBB!!!! The place is up with the best weŽve stayed in Mexico. They have kitchen and loads of hammocks everywhere... and they have this COOL old dude singing spanish songs every night... flippin deadly!! The atmosphere in the hostel was really nice also, everyone talking with each other.

Apart from buying 2 hammocks, we have nothing much to report from Merida, we just chilled, read and did nothing. Oh, and we did find the "Italian Coffee Company" cafe in the end.

Next up... Chichen Itza and the world famous... Cancun....